Summer 2022 opening – we are back!

Summer 2022 opening – we are back!

The news you have all been waiting for – Downpatrick and County Down Railway is opening its doors to the public once again in summer 2022 after two-and-a-half years of closure.

Two years of Covid closures and a huge backlog of maintenance meant we could not open earlier this year, but now that summer is upon us, after a huge amount of work from our volunteers we are finally opening our doors to the public.

Initially we will be operating mainly on Saturdays only from mid July, and are using our 450 class diesel railcar for public trains as the steam locomotive overhauls have been delayed by the loss of key volunteers during the pandemic. We are working to get them back in action for the Lapland Express trains this Christmas. More details of Christmas trains will be announced very soon!

Starting on Saturday 16th July, we are running trains each Saturday through July, August and into September as part of our Summer trains programme. You can find out more about our summer trains here.

As well as this, our first two special events are confirmed. The first is the SuperTrain, a super hero experience that the kids will love, running on Saturday 23rd July. Full details of the SuperTrain can be found here.

We will also be running The Jurassic Express, a dinosaur adventure on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st August. More details of this will be added soon.

We are still facing ongoing issues with Newry, Mourne and Down Council with the main station buildings, so we apologise if some areas of the station are not available on your visit.

Covid and reopening update – August 2021

Covid and reopening update – August 2021

It has been quite a while since our last update, so here’s the latest update on what’s been happening at the railway and our plans to reopen to the public.

The past 18 months has been an incredibly tough time for the railway, with prolonged periods of closure and major loss of income. This has been offset somewhat by money obtained from various grant bodies and donations from the public and our members. We have been considering our plans for reopening and we feel that the time is right to share the latest news with our members.

The main reason we remain closed now is not actually Covid itself – it is the massive amount of ‘ordinary work’ that needs to be completed before we can open the doors again and allow members and the public to experience Ireland’s only full-size heritage railway again.

When will we reopen?

Two steam locomotives are parked outside the locomotive shed. A volunteer is on top of one of them making adjustments to valves. A second volunteer watches from the ground, wearing a white T shirt that is very grubby.

Both our operational steam locos are seen being tested to make sure everything is OK before the boiler inspection.

Following a review of the backlog of work the railway is facing, we are sorry to say that we will not be opening this summer at all.

Our current plans are to open fully for Christmas trains this year. We are also considering opening for limited trains over the school half term holidays, and perhaps opening the museum and carriage gallery as well for visitors, but these plans are not yet confirmed.

Why aren’t we opening sooner?

Most people expect all businesses to be operating more or less as normal again, subject to current public health restrictions. Unfortunately, DCDR is not a typical business, and we remain closed for three main reasons. 

Firstly, regulatory work required to reopen has been immense. The days of ‘just playing with trains’ are long gone – indeed such a mindset has been inappropriate for decades. We had our five-year inspection from HSENI/DFI to obtain our operators licence earlier this year. This was to full ORR standards and we passed the inspection with flying colours, albeit with the usual few extra jobs the inspector wanted. It was a huge task to get through this, especially our Compliance Director Ian Cross who deserves everyone’s thanks for his tireless efforts on this. Without this, we would be unable to operate at all.

A large road-rail excavator is working on the stone beside the track on our Loop Line. A supervisor is directing the work from a safe distance, and a third volunteer is watching from the foreground. The track is overgrown and disused.

Work getting underway on the Loop Line, with the Komatsu excavator clearing the trackside.

Secondly, there is a huge maintenance backlog to overcome. Our railway was effectively abandoned for a long time, and was subject to vandalism, trespass and general deterioration of our assets in the County Down weather. In some cases this was worse because things like locomotives are intended to move around, and water gathering in diesel locomotives, railcars and carriages has created a lot of work (see below)

Thirdly, unlike most tourist attractions and museums, we are entirely run and managed by volunteers. Everyone working in the Board, on track, locomotives, carriages and station improvements is a volunteer. Our wonderful part-time admin officer Kathryn has been on furlough since Spring 2020.

Being volunteer-run and volunteer-led, our already small workforce has been further reduced by people shielding from the virus, and those who wished to avoid contact with the public and other volunteers. Whilst the overall situation has improved massively, some volunteers are still staying away for their own safety, and we cannot compel them to return. We are literally doing more work with fewer people, and it’s a struggle.

Work completed during lockdown

It’s not all bad news. We have completed a lot of work during the lockdown period. This is some of the work that we have carried out:

  • A volunteer at work on the roof of an 80 class carriage. He is wearing a harness attached to a safety line in the workshop ceiling, and is painting the carriage roof grey with a roller.

    Robert at work on the roof of the 80 class driving trailer, applying a second layer of Noxyde paint.

    Rail joints have been adjusted and track inspected and overhauled all the way from Downpatrick to Inch Abbey. This includes dismantling, gap adjustment and oiling of every fishplate (track joiner) on the the rails, replacement of worn rails, repair or replacement of chairs and sleeper spacing improvements. The line is better now than the day it was laid!

  • Brand new speed limit and whistle signs have been installed all along the North Line
  • The Loop Line has had embankment repairs and track improvements, but more work is required to reconnect it to the North Line, and this is on hold while we focus our efforts elsewhere.
  • Ground frame installation, including complex point rodding installation, has made impressive progress
  • A painter in disposable overalls and mask is spray painting the dome end of the roof of the 80 class driving carriage. The carriage is sheeted off with plastic to protect the other paintwork. The new paint is a shiny maroon colour.

    Justin McConnell from NIR at work spraying the roof of the 80 class driving trailer.

    80 class restoration, maintenance and regular inspections continue. In particular, driving trailer 749 has been beautifully restored to be a 1970s time warp outside and inside.

  • Both our steam locos have had annual maintenance and boiler inspections, to get them ready for service.
  • The bay platform area had a major tidy up with discarded track materials and other rubbish dumped there removed, a vast improvement.
  • The giant mountain of old rotten sleepers and other rubbish dumped in the permanent way yard has been largely cleared, with useful components stored and scrap sleepers and other parts ready for disposal.
  • Inch Abbey car park. New white metal picket fencing is shown across the car park.

    New fencing in place at Inch Abbey car park.

    New fences and gates have been installed around the Downpatrick station site

  • We now have a brand new CCTV system and supporting wireless network around the site, complete with remote access and high definition evidential quality video.
  • New fences and gates have been installed at Inch Abbey station
  • Weed control work, including cutting back of trees (before nesting season, don’t panic), cutting vegetation and full weed spraying of both of our lines, including weed spraying to the very end of the South Line for the first time in many years.
  • We have ploughed through tonnes of paperwork to apply for grants and deal with awarding contracts for grant funded work.

The list of work above has been punishing, so thanks must go to the volunteers who have toiled so hard to make this happen. You may be surprised at how few working volunteers we have.

Remaining work

A group of volunteers pose with a new speed limit and whistle sign beside the track. The road-rail dumper truck is seen on the tracks.

A new combined 10mph + Whistle sign near Inch Abbey.

We’ve completed a huge amount of work during the past 12 months – but there is a lot more still to be completed.

Remaining work includes:

  • Repairs to diesel locomotives
  • Completion of the 80 class railcar restoration (mainly the roof on power car No. 69 which needs to be made watertight and repainted)
  • Annual inspection of locomotives and carriages, and any repairs carried out
  • Full, detailed inspection of all our permanent way and structures
  • A large yellow track machine with a weed spraying attachment drives slowly round a curve on our railway line. The track is overgrown with weeds and grass.

    The ballast regulator trundles round a curve near the ends of the South Line with weed sprayer deployed.

    Work is ongoing to repair our tamper so we can adjust the track to be more level and straight

  • Station cleaning and painting
  • Repairs and upgrades to pathways and fences
  • Inch Abbey platform is receiving major attention as the timber platform has not only aged but also vandalised, and needs to be repaired before use.
  • Improvements to level crossings at Downpatrick and the North Junction
  • General weeding and gardening
  • A new, modern, vandal-proof toilet at Inch Abbey (the horrid portaloo will be history!)
  • Groundskeeping works at Inch Abbey station to reclaim it from the jungle
  • A volunteer wearing face and eye protection operates a large petrol driving circular saw to cut a section off the end of a length of rail.

    Chris hard at work trimming the end of a length of rail to ensure the gap is correct.

    Crew training and related exams

  • Other Volunteer refreshers (station staff etc.)
  • Covid-safe measures to be put in place, such as hand sanitisers and screens (the equipment has been purchased already using grant funding)

There is more work than is listed above, but that shows you the major tasks we are trying to complete.

We need more help

Our small team of volunteers has been working flat out to get through all the jobs needed before we can reopen. In the middle of the heatwave, some came in before 6am to get track work completed before the heat became unbearable. At other times, the rain has poured through them while they toil.

The Bruff road-rail lorry is seen on the track near Inch Abbey. One of the rails in front of the truck has been removed to allow a new rail to be installed.

Track maintenance underway near Inch Abbey.

We need more help though. Even a few more people coming forward to volunteer would make a massive difference to us. Skilled painters, joiners, electricians, gardeners – we need you! If you don’t have a trade but have enthusiasm to help out, there is a place for you as well. The only current restrictions, on top of government health advice, are we are unable to train new drivers and firemen.

Please contact us if you think you can offer practical help. You can find details of how to contact us here.

Every pound helps!

Two road-rail excavators being used to clear rubble and old rails around tracks.

Rubble and scrap being removed in Downpatrick station.

Funding is also a major ongoing concern for us. We have lost 18 months of revenue, but careful financial management and grant funding success has kept us in a fairly healthy state. But grants are running out, and we don’t have ticket sales money coming in yet.

If you can make a donation, please consider doing so. To those who have already donated – thank you so much for your generosity. If you haven’t donated or you wish to donate again, then check out our donations page.

And finally…

While this all seems a little overwhelming and maybe depressing, we are actually very positive about our prospects. We have seen a close-knit, hard-working team of volunteers prove themselves to be heroes in this past year. The efforts put in have been impressive, be it toiling out on the track doing heavy manual labour, or toiling at a keyboard trying to keep the admin and finance on the straight and narrow.

We will be back just as soon as possible!

 

Suspension of services – an important message from the DCDR Chairman

Suspension of services – an important message from the DCDR Chairman

An important letter from Robert Gardiner, DCDR Chairman, on the suspension of railway services during the COVID-19 epidemic

It is with deep regret that following the UK government’s advice on new social distancing measures required in order to reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19), that people should avoid gatherings and crowded places, such venues like ours during this pandemic, that we are suspending online sales for our planned Easter Eggspress.

The health and safety of our customers and our all-volunteer staff is of utmost importance to us, and we feel it inappropriate to be encouraging gatherings of people at this time. As many of our volunteers would be in an at risk category we also have a duty of care to them to avoid potential exposure. Indeed, as we expect volunteers to self-isolate, we would also find it very difficult to run train services at all during this period.

We will not be running any trains at Easter and are unlikely to run any events at the May Bank holidays either. We have also closed the museum to visitors and will not be able to accept any group visits for the foreseeable future.

It looks incredibly unlikely that we will be able to host any events until the current restrictions are lifted. This could have a huge financial impact on us, we are a self-funding not-for-profit charity, and you may have seen in the news that the Northern Ireland tourism industry has told the economy minister up to 3,000 tourism businesses might not survive without immediate help.

We hope that we can reschedule an “alternative Easter” later in the year. Whilst we will refund anyone who has purchased tickets for this event on request, given that this situation means we will have no income for most of the first part of 2020, I would plead with you to consider instead exchanging these for vouchers that we will honour for any future events of your choice.

We need your support and understanding in order to survive during this period.

Robert Gardiner
Chairman
Downpatrick and County Down Railway

Mother’s Day Afternoon Teas CANCELLED

Mother’s Day Afternoon Teas CANCELLED

Due to the ongoing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Downpatrick and County Down Railway have reluctantly taken the decision to postpone our Mother’s Day Afternoon Teas on Sunday 22nd March.

The health and safety of our customers and our all-volunteer staff is of utmost important to us, and we feel it inappropriate to be encouraging gatherings of people at this time, and as many of our volunteers would be in an at risk category we also have a duty of care to them to avoid potential exposure.

We will be contacting everyone who has booked already to give them the choice of:

  • Convert your ticket to a voucher for a rescheduled Afternoon Tea event (details will be made available in due course)
  • A full refund

We are very sorry if this causes any disappointment to those who have already booked, however we hope an afternoon tea voucher will still be an appropriate Mother’s Day gift, and these will still be available as gifts for anyone who was considering booking, but we hope you understand the reasons for this and we look forward to welcoming you later in the year.

St Patrick’s Day Trains CANCELLED

St Patrick’s Day Trains CANCELLED

Due to the ongoing public health concerns around the COVID-19 epidemic, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has taken the decision to cancel the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Downpatrick.

DCDR management have reviewed this situation, and we have taken the reluctant decision to cancel our train operations on this date as well.

For clarity, that means the railway is CLOSED on Tuesday 17th March.

We apologise for any disappointment this has caused, and hope you understand our reasons for this decision. Aside from the health consideration, with the parade cancelled we would expect very few passengers to actually turn up for the trains.

We will be issuing refunds to anyone who has already booked tickets.

At this stage we have not made a decision regarding Mother’s Day Afternoon Teas or any subsequent events.

DCDR Marks 70 Years Since Closure

DCDR Marks 70 Years Since Closure

SEVENTY years ago this morning the first part of Northern Ireland’s railway network literally came to the end of the line, with the axe falling on a large part of the old Belfast and County Down Railway, marking the end of 100 years of railway transport in East Down.

On this day (15 January) in 1950, railway stations south of Comber fell quiet and an eerie silence descended upon mile after mile of what had once been a key transport corridor.

No longer would the rumble of trains and passenger-filled carriages pass through on their way to Castlewellan or Newcastle, stopping at Ballygowan, Saintfield, Ballynahinch junction, Crossgar, or Dundrum on the way, or perhaps branching off after Downpatrick for Ardglass.Later that year, on April 22, 1950, services from Belfast to Comber – with stops at Bloomfield, Neill’s Hill, Knock, Dundonald and on to Donaghadee also ceased.

Had the line survived to today, it would form a vital transport link between the commuter belt into the Northern Irish capital.

It seems incredible today to think that such a vital transport link could be easily discarded but in 1950 the ministers in the devolved Stormont Government took the view that railways were as obsolete as the stagecoach.

In a way, they were right that the lines were Edwardian relics – and the BCDR in particular still operated obsolete Victorian carriages – but investment since then in new technologies in track, signalling and rolling stock over those years have showed what we could have had throughout Northern Ireland.

But even then, in 1948 an express train from Comber to Belfast could get you into the old Queen’s Quay station near the Odyssey Arena in 15 minutes – despite the investment in the Glider and other public transport initiatives nothing has come close to replicating that speed and efficiency.

Up to the 1940s, the main railway network in Northern Ireland was operated by three major railway companies, the London Midland and Scottish Railway’s ‘Northern Counties’ lines, which operated out of York Road Station to Larne and Londonderry; the Great Northern Railway of Ireland, which operated out of Great Victoria Street Station to places like Dungannon, Armagh, as well as Dublin; and the Belfast and County Down Railway, based at Queen’s Quay Station.

In 1948, the Stormont government decided to nationalise the network and amalgamate the LMS and BCDR with the bus operator, the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board, to form the Ulster Transport Authority, a predecessor to Translink.

A tribunal was set up to consider how this could be best achieved and provide an integrated transport system.

Rail chiefs, who had been hoping for investment after the railways had proved so crucial to the war effort a few years earlier and that the buses would be barred from competing with the trains and instead provide a feeder service to stations, were devastated at the outcome.

The recommendation, accepted by Stormont, was that the entire Belfast and County Down Railway main line from Belfast to Newcastle, including the branches to Donaghadee, Ballynahinch and Ardglass, should be closed.

The only route to be saved was the Belfast to Bangor connection, which continues operating successfully to this day.

The attitude of Stormont was that it would be cheaper to move everything to the roads than to invest in railways that had been run down during the Second World War – people would use the buses instead. They developed huge road building schemes – most were never completed – but closed the railways first before these were even started. It seems incredible today.

Station Master James Taylor (left), Walter Paton, engine rosterer, fireman James Hill, driver Barney Malone on the last train to depart Downpatrick station to Ardglass in January 1950

Station Master James Taylor (left), Walter Paton, engine rosterer, fireman James Hill, driver Barney Malone on the last train to depart Downpatrick station to Ardglass in January 1950

The most puzzling element of the decision was the axing of the Belfast to Newtownards line, which served the east of the city – Dundonald, Knock and Comber areas in which the suburbs were developing and likely to provide increased commuter traffic had they been spared.

Indeed, there were more than enough new diesel trains ordered to operate both the Bangor and Newtownards lines – and evidence suggests that the Transport Tribunal expected Stormont to spare the Comber line as a compromise option and as late as 1953 before the tracks were lifted they were calling on the minister responsible to reverse the decision and trial these new diesel trains on this section of track – a call that fell on deaf ears.

The 1950 closures were the first steps in a plan which was to see the reduction of Northern Ireland’s railway network from 754 miles to 297 miles, a decrease of 61 per cent.

A decade later, the Great Northern Railway was divided between the UTA and its counterpart in the Republic, CIE, and further closures to lines to Armagh, Dungannon, Omagh and Strabane occurred.

These closures all occurred before the infamous Beeching Report into British Railways – the remit of which did not extend to Northern Ireland as this was a devolved matter.

Willie Watterson and James Magill, who were porters and ticket clerks at Newcastle and Tullymurry stations, recalled memories of the last train in an interview recorded for the BBC documentary ‘Raising Steam’ in 2007.

“The last train was a Sunday night. It was a cold winter night, 15th January 1950. There was twelve coaches, and two engines and two Guards. She was packed. Packed to the doors. So I lit all the lamps, and put detonators on the line to give her a send-off.

James added: “I think every station did the same thing, so when the train came in there was a salute of bangs. I felt terrible about it, terribly, terribly sad. I still felt it couldn’t happen.

“Still felt they’ll come back, they’ll run again. I couldn’t believe there’d be no more railways, after working on them so hard.”

Adam Hamilton, who was a fireman (the person who stoked the fire on the steam locomotives), also explained: “It broke my heart, because the railways were in my blood. I still hear the sound of the steam still running on a clear night puffing away”.

Today, the Downpatrick & County Down Railway keeps the memory alive through its reconstruction of two miles of the former main line as well as restored carriages rescued from their fate as hen houses.

As part of its commemorations of the BCDR‘s demise, it is keen to make contact with anyone who had any connection with the network, including former employees or their families, or people in possession of railway memorabilia such as photographs, tickets, timetables or even carriages.

One thing we would love for the museum is a BCDR uniform or tunic – so far we have been unable to track one down. Perhaps you have something in your loft?

The Downpatrick and County Down Railway can be contacted via email at info@downrail.co.uk or message at www.facebook.com/downrail

And what of the future of the line? In November 2008 the section of the BCDR’s former main line from Holywood Arches to Comber was opened as the Comber Greenway, whilst other sections have been used for roads as well as the section around Downpatrick being used by the DCDR.

In the early 1990s Northern Ireland Railways prepared a feasibility study into reopening the line to Newtownards, but this was not taken further by the Direct Rule administration.

In May 2013, the Department for Regional Development published its Railway Investment Prioritisation Strategy, which promised feasibility studies into the reopening of closed railway routes to Armagh, Dungannon and Castledawson by 2030, but not including the Comber/Newtownards route.

However maybe, seventy years after the first railway closure in Northern Ireland, the new Minister for Infrastructure in the restored Stormont Government might see the first of those historic mistakes rectified?

Track lifting at Tullymurry station in 1953

Track lifting at Tullymurry station in 1953

Bank Holiday Steam in Downpatrick

Bank Holiday Steam in Downpatrick

Catch the steam train at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway on this year’s Late Spring Bank Holiday. It’s perfect chance for another trip to Inch Abbey, taking the time to sample the delights of a real steam train and rail travel at its most traditional.

Monday 27th May

Departures from 1pm-4pm

Buy your tickets online, here!

 

The train is being hauled by a ‘Black Beauty’ of the steaming kind – Orenstein & Koppel steam locomotive No. 1, a German-built locomotive that hauled wagons filled with sugar beet during her working life in factories for the Irish Sugar Company. The steam loco will be hauling two beautifully restored carriages from our heritage collection.

Happy passengers enjoying the train trip

Happy passengers enjoying the train trip

If you’re looking for something to do in the gloriously sunny exam weather, you can catch the steam train out to the 12th Century Cistercian monastery at Inch Abbey, travelling through the drumlin countryside of County Down – perhaps taking a picnic out with you to enjoy some chill time on the banks of the River Quoile?

Hot and cold drinks and snacks will also be served all day on board the buffet train at Inch Abbey station; if you are travelling into the town from Inch Abbey the return journey can be made on any of the services.

The former Bundoran Jct Signal Cabin

The former Bundoran Jct Signal Cabin

A trip to the signal cabin (fully wheelchair accessible) and the Carriage Gallery visitor centre brings the golden age of railways vividly to life, and looks at the impact that the railways had upon the lives of those who worked and travelled on them. The Carriage Gallery is your chance to encounter some of the finest restored carriages in Ireland, and see first-hand the stark contrast between them and the ruined shells that they came to us as. You can also see our latest arrival, an original Travelling Post Office carriage from An Post, which used to race between Dublin and Cork sorting mail on the move.

For the younger train fans, children can enjoy their own ‘Kids’ Station’ in the Gallery, and dress up as a train driver or guard and climb on board the cab of a locomotive or carriage for their photograph to be taken, or can get to drive Thomas the Tank Engine on a model railway – ‘big kids’ might even get a go too.

Be sure to talk to the driver and fireman and see the footplate

Be sure to talk to the driver and fireman and see the footplate

You should also be sure to go up to the front of the train at either of our stations where you can get a good look at the footplate of the steam locomotive and talk to the driver and fireman, they will show you how a steam locomotive works. You might even get a lump of coal as a souvenir. Be sure to ask them lots of difficult questions!

For those who are a little more adventurous, and perhaps live out a childhood dream, you can add on a ‘Footplate Pass’ for just £20. Not only will you get to climb aboard and see the footplate of a genuine steam loco, but you’ll get a return trip to Inch Abbey in the delightful company of the driver and fireman. A reasonable level of fitness is required for this, and terms and conditions apply.

Trains depart from 1pm to 4pm, with all-day tickets costing:

  • Adults: £7.50
  • Children aged 4 and over: £5.50
  • Children aged under 4: FREE!
  • Families (2 adults + up to three kids): £22
  • Concessions (Senior Citizens, students, unemployed etc.): £6.50

Tickets can be purchased at our online ticket office, here, or you can buy tickets when you arrive at our station in Downpatrick.

Find out more about what you can do on your visit here.

Don’t forget that DCDR members travel totally free of charge – check out how to become a member here. If you’re a member you can also consider being a volunteer, and become part of the team who runs Ireland’s only full size heritage railway. Find out more about volunteering.

 

Our steam train pulls into the station in Downpatrick

Our steam train pulls into the station in Downpatrick

Trains Steaming Back for May Day!

Trains Steaming Back for May Day!

From families to railway buffs, from tots to grandparents, if you’re stuck for something to do on the May Day Bank Holiday Monday, then bring yourself to Downpatrick for an afternoon of adventure on Ireland’s only full size heritage railway. 

Buy your tickets online now! 

 

Railway chairman Robert Gardiner says the May Day bank holiday is the perfect chance to take another trip to Inch Abbey or to see the delights of a real steam train for anyone who did not get the chance at Easter.

“And as well as fun for the children, mums and dads also get the chance to experience rail travel at its most traditional, as passengers will be able to taste the elegance of by-gone railway travel on fifty to one hundred year old carriages through the picturesque County Down countryside along nearly two miles of restored track.

“Teas, coffees, buns and snacks, at highly competitive rates, will be served all day onboard our buffet train at Inch Abbey station; if you are travelling into the town from Inch Abbey the return journey can be made on any of the services.”

He adds, “And if the weather holds out, bring a picnic to take out to Inch Abbey to enjoy on the shores of the beautiful River Quoile. And as a special treat this year, we’re using our vintage carriage rake with three beautifully restored carriages, all of them at least 100 years old. It’s a real trip back to Edwardian times!”

Mr. Gardiner also says, “A trip to the ‘Carriage Gallery’ visitor centre brings the golden age of the railway vividly to life and looks at the impact that the railways had on people’s lives, through artefacts from the smallest such as a ticket in the upstairs exhibition, or the largest such as lovingly restored railway carriages in the Carriage Gallery and the stark contrast of the wrecks these vehicles once were when rescued.”

Children can enjoy their own “Kids’ Station” in the Gallery, and dress up as a train driver or guard, or can get to drive Thomas the Tank Engine on a model railway – or will they let the ‘big kids’ get a go too?”

For those a little more adventurous, and perhaps live out a childhood dream, you can buy a Footplate Pass for just £20 and get to travel up in the locomotive cab with the driver. You can read more about this here.

Tickets cost £7.50 for adults, £5.50 for children 4 and over, concession fares are £6.50. Children aged below four years old go free! A family ticket is £22 for two adults and up to three kids. You can buy your tickets when you arrive at our station, or you can buy them online now!

Free Parking is available at both Inch Abbey and Downpatrick Stations.

Mr Gardiner adds, “Dogs are very welcome on our trains, provided they are kept under control.”

Last admissions are at 3:45pm. Trains depart from 1pm-4pm, the station is open until 5pm. Check out our timetable & fares details here.

Hop Aboard the Easter Eggspress!

Hop Aboard the Easter Eggspress!

There’ll be eggs-travagant fun at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway with eggs galore on this year’s Easter Eggspress, running over the Easter weekend.

 

Buy your Easter Eggspress tickets – go to the ticket office now!

 

The bunnies are already hopping the rails at the local heritage railway, and the Easter Eggspress is a unique and special treat for kids and a great way to say ‘Happy Easter!’ for all the family.

The train will be used for excursions from the town centre from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on Saturday 20th, Easter Sunday 21st & Easter Monday 22nd April.

Railway Chairman Robert Gardiner, says that young passengers receive a treat from a special guest, “The Easter Bunny has bounced into the station for this weekend who’ll be hopping with joy to give them their Easter Eggs.”

And this year, the Easter Bunny wants to play a game and is creating an Egg Trail Hunt for wannabe eggsperts, as Mr Gardiner explains. “The Easter Bunny has brought down some of her friends, small teddies and bunnies, but they’re very shy and it’s the job of visitors to track them down. Families will receive a guide to their hunt with their tickets to help ‘eggsplore’ the railway and gather up the info on the card.  Each bunny has a large letter which together make up a two word message.”

He continues, “They then have to reveal this secret phrase to the Easter Bunny who will reward them of an Easter Egg of their choice.”

Steam locomotive O&K No. 1 with the vintage carriages that you can experience at Easter.

Steam locomotive O&K No. 1 with the vintage carriages that you can experience at Easter.

And as well as fun for the children, mums and dads also get the chance to experience rail travel at its most traditional, as passengers will be able to taste the elegance of by-gone railway travel on 100+ year old carriages hauled by one of our steam locomotives through the picturesque County Down countryside along nearly two miles of restored track.

Teas, coffees, soft drinks and snacks will be served all day on board a vintage buffet carriage parked at Inch Abbey station.

Mr. Gardiner also commented, “A trip to the station museum and the Carriage Gallery visitor centre brings the golden age of the railway vividly to life and looks at the impact that the railways had on people’s lives, through artefacts from the smallest, such as a ticket in the upstairs exhibition, or the largest, such as lovingly restored railway carriages in the Carriage Gallery and the stark contrast of the wrecks these vehicles once were when rescued.”

“For the younger train fans, children can enjoy their own Kids’ Station in the Gallery, and dress up as a train driver or guard for a family selfie using some of the Victorian props and costumes provided in the dressing up area, in a carriage or beside the 1875 steam engine.

“On the station they can get to drive Thomas the Tank Engine on a model railway – or will they let the big kids get a go too?”

“For those a little more adventurous, and perhaps to fulfil a childhood dream, you can buy a Footplate Pass for just £20 and get to travel up in the locomotive cab with the driver.”  A reasonable level of fitness is required to purchase these passes.

Tickets cost £8.50 for all ages (£7.50 for concessions), and can be booked in advance via the website.

St Patrick’s Day 2019

St Patrick’s Day 2019

St Patrick’s Day is the first chance you have in 2019 to travel in style on one of our heritage trains – and this year we are rolling out a real treat and using our beautiful vintage carriages for you to enjoy.

Advance ticketing is available for these events – visit our secure online ticket office now to buy your tickets!

The town is hosting the usual St Patrick’s Day parade, which starts around 1pm in the town centre – note the earlier start this year! There’s a load of activities going on around the town as well, making it a great day out for everyone. We’ll be running steam and diesel trains throughout the afternoon, and our museum, carriage gallery and other attractions will be open as usual.

We will be running trains from Inch Abbey to Downpatrick from around 11:30am, with the last return train departing from Downpatrick at 4pm. Inch Abbey can be a very useful park & ride facility to get you into the town without having to struggle with the road closures.

You can buy your tickets in advance to avoid the queues, and travel on any train you like. You can also buy your tickets when you arrive at our Inch Abbey and Downpatrick stations.

Our standard fares will apply to both these days:
Adults: £7.50
Children 4+: £5.50
Children under 4: Free
Concessions: £6.50
Family (2 adults + up to 3 kids): £22

As usual, you can take more than one train trip if you wish, and you are welcome to spend as long as you want exploring the railway, station and museum.

For more information:
How to find our station in Downpatrick

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